Abortion Accusation Heats Up 5th District Primary Contest

ELECTION  MANNIX  ERICKSON  ELECTIONS 

By April Baer

Portland, OR  May 13, 2008 4:23 p.m.

The Republican primary for Oregon's 5th District Congressional seat has gone nuclear, with the introduction of abortion politics. April Baer reports.

Businessman Mike Erickson's said for years he's opposed to abortion -- a position that won him an Oregon Right to Life endorsement the last time he ran in the 5th.

His primary opponent this year, Kevin Mannix, sent an email to likely Republican voters claiming that back in 2000, Erickson got a woman pregnant, then convinced her to have an abortion.

The story was reported this week by the Portland Tribune, although many facts are unverified. Some voters call it a smear campaign, but it's not without precedent.

Jim Moore: "Going back for about the past 15 to 20 years, abortion has been the number-one issue for Republican primary voters."

Jim Moore teaches political science at Pacific University.  He notes that Mannix has used abortion to his advantage in several prior primary races, taking out opponents with allegations late in the game.

Erickson denied the story in a written release. He's still not granting interviews.

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